Fence



(No Model.)

J. H. CUNNINGHAM & N. M. DIOKERSZON.

FENCE.

Patented Oct. '9, 1883.

, o fence to fall in one direction or the other.

NIED STATES JAMES H. CUNNINGHAM AND NOBVEL M. DIGKERSON, OF CROSSTIMBERS,

MISSOURI.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,182, dated October9, 1883,,

Application filed April 25, 1883. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J AMES H. CUNNING- HAM and N ORVEL M. DIOKERSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Cross Timbers, 5 in thecounty of Hickory and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fences, of which the follow ingis aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a fence of such constructionthat it can be rapidly set up, and at the same time shall be of suchnature that when great pressure is brought to bear against it by water,wind, or otherwise, the fence shall yield sufficiently to prevent anyserious destruction of the parts of which it is composed.

Figurel is a side elevation of a fence embodying our invention, thepanel portions being of wire. Fig. 2 is a view of one of the posts. Fig.3 is a view of the base-plate of one of the posts. Fig. 4 is a View of aportion of a fence in which the panels are eo1nposed of wire and boards.

I11 the drawings, A represents the ground portion of one of the postsand A A the part which is above ground. The part A, that is insertedinto the ground, may be generally I of any preferred character, if atthe top it be provided with a bed-plate adapted to receive the otherparts.

In the drawings we have shown a plate, a, adapted for the purposes. atwhich we aim. Preferably it has a smooth top surface, and

upon this rests the bottom plate, A, of the upper part of the post.joined together in such manner that if pressure be exerted against thepost the plates can separate, so as to allow the upper part of the forma series of apertures near the periphery of the base-plate A, andprovide the bottom plate, a, with connecting devices.

5 necting devices upon one side are of a hinge 4 5 character, beingformed, by means of an eye, 13, 1

of wire or suitable material, which is passed through an eye, a, in thelower plate, and an eye, a, in the upper. On the other side of the postthere is a staple, 1), shown as project ing upwardly, and adapted topass through one of the apertures of the series in the plate A.Preferably this staple is situated dia- Said two plates are 1 Theconmetrically opposite to the hinge at B, and after said staple ispassed upward through the corresponding aperture in the plate A a woodenpin, If, is passed through the staple. This pin is of such size andstrength that it will hold the fence against all ordinary pressure andkeep the post firmly in an upright position; but at the same time it isnot so strong but that when an extraordinary pressure is brought to bearagainst the post upon the side on which said wooden pin is situated itcan break and allow the post to fall over toward the opposite side.Casting the parts A A of the post with enlarged plates not only preventsit from sinking into the earth where the fence passes over marshy orboggy places, but also, affords an opportunity for easily and cheaplyhinging the two parts together, while by having the perforations atdifferent points around the plates we can so hinge the parts that thepost shall fall in the direction of the current of water, even shouldthe fence cross the water-course at other 7 5 than a right angle.Therefore when a body of water, as in a flood or freshet, pressesagainst the fence, the posts at which a great pressure is exerted canfall over and allow the water to pass, and also the floating wood anddebris, which, as is well known, is carried in large quantities by suchbodies of water. As there are several apertures in the base-plate A, theground-plate a can be set in such position as to have the staple 1)correspond with any of the apertures, and therefore the wood en pinwhich holds the post up can be set up on the side at which theextraordinary pressure will be probably brought to bear.

The upper part, A A", of the post can be 0 made in any suitable way. Weprefer to construct it of metal.

It will be seen that our invention is applica ble to fences constructedof wire, to those made of wood, and those partly of wire and partly ofwood.

The panels E of the fence may consist of a series of boards, slats,bars, or wires, attached to the post in any preferred way; butwe prcferthe mode of attachment shown, the panels rec in Fig. 1 consisting ofwires and those in Fig. 4 of wires and boards, they being attached tothe posts in the following manner:

The alternate posts A", Figs. 1 and 4, are

' longitudinally.

@ semen provided with slots 0, in which the wire is loosely supported,the others having apertures D, through which the wire is passed Accessis had to the slot 0 thrOugh angular or inclined slots 0, that extendfrom the side ofthe post inward until they communicate with said slot 0.The slots are so arranged as that a downwardly-projecting spur, c, andan upwardly-projecting spur, c, overlap each other and prevent the wirefrom escaping horizontally from the slots 0.

The wire can be introduced very easily into the slots 0, as it is onlynecessary to bend it a little relatively to the horizon and slip it infrom the edge of the post. The ends of the wire are also provided withfastening devices f )1 connecting them to the posts, which permit anautomatical detachment of the wires therefrom. The wires have loops oreyes (1 formed thereon, which, when the fence is up. lie immediatelyadjacent to the sides of the posts. Throughthese. wooden pins (1 arepassed ,whi ch bear against the post and receive the strain. \Vhen thestrain upon the wire becomes very great, the pins will break and allowthe ends of the wire to escape from the post, and as soon as the wireshave thus been released from the post the pressure will be so decreasedas not to endanger the parts which are left stand.

ing.

Under some circumstances we prefer to have the alternateposts A" (thoseprovided with the slots, 0 and G) permanently secured in a verticalposition, or, at least, so fastened that they cannot be thrown downwithout its being done purposely, for if the adjacent posts are allow toyield and fall the posts that are per-. nianently held will be freedfrom disastrous pressure, as above described.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a fence constructed with our improvement, inwhich the horizontal parts thereof consist of boards E. These latter maybefastene'd to the posts by a wire, 0, and wooden pin at one end and awire, 0, at the other, said parts being so arranged that the wooden pincan break to allow the bar or rail to move away from the line of thefence to relieve it of pressure. This construction possesses certainadvantages not incident to that shown in the other figures. In this casethere is no liability that the wire or panels shall, after parting fromthe posts, be carried by the water away from the central or supportingpost, A, the boards preventing the wire from being drawn through theslot 0, should oneend be caught by the passing dbris.

From the above description it will be seen that the panels are arrangedin sets of two, havingtheir adjacent endssecurely but flexibly connectedto a post, while their opposite ends are connected to the posts so as toyield to undue strain without fracture of the pan-' els, and allow thewhole panel portion to be held by the central post.

, \Ve are aware that a post for flood-fences,

having a lower part inserted in the ground, and an upper portion, towhich the panels are attached, hinged to said lower part, these twoportions being of substantially the same size throughout, has beenknown; but our post possesses advantages over such construction, theplates at A preventing the post from sinking too far into the earthwhere the fence crosses wet or boggy ground, where such fences are mostfrequently used, while by perforating the plates at different places weare enabled easily to hinge the two parts together and to change thepoint of hinging, and hence the direction in which the post shall fall,should this be necessary, which cannot be done with any other post ofwhich we have knowledge.

\Vhat we claim is- I 1. A fence-post consisting of the upper and lowerparts, A and A, they being provided, respectively, with enlargedperforated plates A and a, which prevent the post from sinking into theearth, and means passing through the perforations, which detachablysecure said parts together, and permit them to be fastened at differentpoints around said plates, substantially as set forth.

2. A fence-post composed of the upper portion, A provided at its lowerend with an enlarged perforated plate, A, a lower portion, A, providedat its upper end with an enlarged plate, a, upon which rests the plateA, and having a staple, 7), adapted to pass through one of the aperturesin plate A, an eye of wire, B, forming a hinge between parts A A", anda-pin adapted to pass through said sta ple, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fence, the combination, with the posts, of the panels attachedto the posts by wires looped at their ends, and pins passing through theloops, which pins, when under extraordinary pressure, break and free theends of the panels, Without fracture of the same, substantially as setforth.

4. In a flood-fence, the combination, with the posts, of the panelspermanently but flexibly attached to the post A, and attached to posts Aby means of wires looped at their ends, and pins passing through theloops in the Wires, which pins break under extraordinary pressure ofwater and allow the panels to swing around with the current and be heldonly by post A, substantially as set forth.

ICO

5. In a flood-fence, the combination, with JAMES H. GUNNINGHAllh N ORVELM. DIGKERSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN 0. BROWN, A. F. DOAK.

